We usually find the Elder care in our homes watching TV, sitting idle, thinking about something or waiting for the children to come and spend time with them. This is the most common thing we witness in our day-to-day lives, and we need to immediately change it for the better to provide good mental and physical stimulation for the elders as they need it more than that of the young adults. Engaging in recreational and therapeutic activities improves their cognitive abilities and helps them avoid mental illnesses such as Dementia, Depression, Alzheimer’s etc. They can also stay active and peaceful throughout the day with the help of such activities.
Here are some of the therapeutic activities that you can use to encourage your elderly to be a part of
Physical activities
Exercise is the most common thing we hear when talking about an energetic day eye the most important one. Sadly, most elderly people do not get a chance to engage in physical activity. Physical activity doesn’t have to be a heavy activity. Still, just a morning and evening walk, fishing, yoga, sports like golf and other flexible ones, water aerobics and chair yoga also come under exercises that your elderly can perform.
Not only does the exercise promote your parents’ mobility, but it also helps them to have a good sleep.
Pet therapy
Who doesn’t love pets? Those tiny creatures that fill us with love and joy? Animal therapy has been a part of many senior care retirement homes as it has shown a profound change in the mindsets of the elderly. Suppose your elderly suffer from depression or have other mental health issues like declined ability to communicate and comprehend with others, etc. Getting along with animals also reduces their levels of stress and loneliness as pets treat people with the unconditional and empathy-filled company.
Music
The ultimate vibe! Music and serenity go hand in hand as by listening to some soothing tunes, we can forget this world and get lost in the tunes of music. If you engage your seniors in the music, they go back to times of their childhood and teens, and those memories fill them with a sense of fulfilment and nostalgia. Also, it is proven that music therapy helps people with dementia and Alzheimer’s in memorizing things from their golden days and even communicating those things to the people around them. Not only this, but you can also accompany them to the music shows nearby to get them out of the house and let them have fresh air.
Art
Another form of expression that eases the communication of the seniors, especially those affected by dementia and other mental health issues. They can represent their expressions and thoughts in the form of art and communicate through it nonverbal communication effectively. Besides painting, you can allow the seniors to participate in other recreational activities like photography, scrapbooking, drawing, dancing etc.
Brain games
Your elderly’s brain activity will be much less when compared to yours. Take the necessary precautions and care. You can surely improve the brain activity and functionality of the elderly just by simple in-home brain games like puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, colouring books etc. These all fall under the therapeutic activities without doubt and aids your parents in relieving stress, mental tension and the restricted feelings they have due to their health conditions.
Cooking
Some of your parents might indeed have movement restrictions, but for those who don’t have such restrictions, you can take your elderly to the kitchen and ask them to prepare delicious dishes for you. People with weak mental health can benefit from this as cooking acts as an aroma therapy for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients by boosting their senses. Doing this way elevates the mood of the elderly and keeps them away from all the unnecessary brain debris.
Walking
This is the simplest thing you can do for your elders at home. Set a time in the morning and evening and ensure that your parents are having a morning and evening walk at that time. Walking in the morning and in the evening start and end their day well without making them feel dull and tired all day. If possible, you can also make them interact with the peer groups that act as a motivation factor for your elderly to move forward with their daily routines.
Conclusion
Recreational activities play a crucial role in the elderly’s lives as they are at the last stages of life and need some motivating factor to move on with their lives. Senior Care Services managers stand by your parents’ side, take them to family events, arrange them surprise parties and plan outings so that they will not feel lonely and low every day.
